Reader line guide

ABSTRACT

A reader line guide and line marking device consisting of an elongated rectangularly shaped flat plate like marker member having a top and bottom surface with a curved resilient L-shaped handle member extending longitudinally across the midsection of the marker member and having one end of the handle connected thereto with the base of the handle extending substantially parallel to the top of the marker member to define an elongated slot-like opening formed between the top surface of the marker member and the handle for snug insertion of a few of the fingers of one of a reader&#39;&#39;s hands thereinto in a manner to guide the marker member from line-to-line of written matter as the bottom surface of the marker member rests on and glides along the top of the written matter to be read.

Unite States Loring READER LINE GUIDE Martha F Loring, 97 Overbrook Rd., West Hartford, Conn. 06107 [22] Filed: June 11, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 369,092

[76] Inventor:

Primary Examiner-Louis J. Capozi [451 Apr. 30, 1974 [57] ABSTRACT A reader line guide and line marking device consisting of an elongated rectangularly shaped flat plate like marker member having a top and bottom surface with a curved resilient L-shaped handle member extending longitudinally across the midsection of the marker member and having one end of the handle connected thereto with the base of the handle extending substantially parallel to the top of the marker member to define an elongated slot-like opening formed between the top surface of the marker member and the handle for snug insertion of a. few of the fingers of one of a readers hands thereinto in a manner to guide the marker member from line-to-line of written matter as the bottom surface of the marker member rests on and glides along the top of the written matter to be read.

5 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures READER LINE GUIDE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates to a reader line guide for use with books, papers, notes and the like which has lines of written matter thereon to assist the reader in following a single line of written matter.

2. Description of the Prior Art In the past it has been customary to use a straightedged nrler or a cardboard or the like for marking and following lines by a reader, such as a child or an elderly person, to assist and guide the reader from line-to-line in reading books, newspapers, or other written matter. This proves to be somewhat bulky and inconvenient for use as the marker is moved successively from line to line as necessary.

While it is known in the prior art to provide marking devices for utilization by typists for use in conjunction with copy holders, stands and the like, along with the prior art also illustrating reading glasses of a magnifying type, there is no known simple and efficient device which is rapidly adaptable for use to provide assistance to the large segment of population of young children and elderly adults to help them keep on the appropriate line when reading written matter.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention remedies and overcomes the aforementioned shortcomings of the presently available devices by providing an easily operable reader line guide to enable a reader to use the same with any type of written matter, whether it is but a single sheet or a many paged book, which has lines of written matter thereon so that the reader can readily follow a single line of written matter, and which also enables the reader to easily and quickly move the reader line guide downwardly from one line to another line as the reading progresses.

A feature of the invention provides a reader line guide which may be easily and quickly moved and controlled with a single hand of the reader from line to line as the reading progresses by a simple movement of the readers hand.

Yet a further feature of the invention provides a reader line guide which is self-contained and utilizes no mechanical movements or moving parts which may tend to complicate the same to the elderly reader.

Yet still a further feature of the invention provides a reader line guide having an exceptionally smooth bottom surface adapted for ease of sliding contact over the page of written matter in order not to damage the same, such as by blurring or smearing type written sheets of paper and the like.

The provision of a reader line guide, such as briefly outlined above, and possessing the stated advantages, constitutes the principal features of the present invention. The provision of a reader line guide which is simple in its construction and which therefor may be readily manufactured at a low cost and by simple manufacturing methods due to its simplicity of construction; one which is rugged and durable and which therefor may be guaranteed by the manufacturer to withstand a long lifetime of usage; one which is aesthetically pleasing and refined in appearance; one which may be made of a variety of suitable satisfactory materials and in a variety of colors to assist in the marketing of the product to the consumer public; and one which, otherwise, is well adapted to perform the services required of it, are further desirable features which have been borne in mind in the production and development of the present invention.

Other features and advantages of this invention will be apparent during the course of the following description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, and in which like reference characters are employed to designate like parts throughout the same:

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a first embodiment of the present invention as packaged for consumer sales by rack type merchandising;

FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of a second embodiment of a reader line guide as utilized in reading a book;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the reader line guide of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along Line 4-4 of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 is a front perspective view of the second embodiment of the reader line guide illustrated in FIG. 1 wherein the handle is separable from the marker member.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Withreference to the drawings, reference numeral 10 generally designates a reader line guide which, in the embodiment of FIGS. 2-4 inclusive, comprises an elongated rectangularly shaped flat plate like marker member 12 and a longitudinally disposed handle member 13 formed integrally therewith and extending longitudinally thereacross. In the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 5 the reader line guide 10 comprises an elongated rectangularly shaped flat plate like marker member 22 and a longitudinally disposed handle member 23 which is separable from the marker member as illustrated in FIG. 1. The marker members 12 and 22 along with the handle members 13 and 23 are manufactured out of metal, wood, plastic or any other suitable satisfactory material with the preferred embodiment being formed of opaque plastic which is inflexible in a plane taken parallel to the sheet of written matter with the disposition of the respective handle on the respective marker member reinforcing the marker member to also make the marker member inflexible in a plane perpendicular to the sheet of written matter. Further, it is to be understood that the line guide 10 may be manufactured in a variety of colors and decorative designs to appeal to a wide variety of consumers thus increasing the widespread acceptance and usage of the device by the general populace.

Referring now to the embodiment of FIGS. 2 through 4, the marker member 12 comprises a top surface 11, a substantially fiat bottom surface 14, a leading edge 15, a following edge 16, and opposed side end edges 17 and 18.

To assure minimizing sliding friction between the line guide 10 and the sheet of written matter, such as a page 51 of a book 42 in FIG. 2, the bottom surface 14 is provided with a sheet of smooth slippery material 36 such as Teflon (Trade Mark) or the like of the same width and length of marker member 12 and which is permanently bonded to the bottom surface 14 in a conventional manner such that in usage it is the sheet of material 36 which is rested upon and slid over the written matter to be read such that no damage to the written matter is caused by the use of the line guide. For example, should the written matter consist of type written sheets of paper, pencil notes, and the like which are readily subject to blurring and smearing by any object being slid thereover or resting thereon, this would not occur with the line guide of the present device as only the smooth slippery surface 36 would contact the written matter and, due to the smoothness and slipperiness of the same, would not affect the written matter in any way.

The handle member 13 is generally of an L-shape with the leg portion 19 of the handle joined integrally to the top surface 11 of the marker member 12, and with the base 20 of the L-shaped handle member extending substantially parallel to the marker member 12 in a direction toward the following edge 16 so as to define between the handle member and the top surface 11 of the marker member a longitudinally elongated slotlike opening 46 of a size and configuration adapted to receive therein the fingertips of a few of the fingers of one of the readers hands, such as illustrated by fingers 44, in a manner to guide from Iine-to-line of written matter. To assist in accurate guiding and ease of operation of the line guide 10, the handle member 13 is resiliently formed with the slot-like opening 46 being of a height and depth designed to receive the fingertips of fingers 44 in a wedging type action between the base 20 of the handle member and the top surface 11 of the marker member 12 such that the line guide will tend to cling to the fingertips for ease in moving the line guide progressively downwardly from one line to another as the reading progresses.

Referring now to the alternative embodiment of the line guide as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 5, it is firstly understood that the operation thereof is the'same as illustrated in FIG. 2 for the previously described embodiment. The marker member 22 comprises a top surface 21, a bottom surface 24, a leading edge 25, a following edge 26, and longitudinally spaced opposed side edges 27 and 28. The handle member 23 is generally similar to handle member 13 of the first embodiment in that it is of a general L-shape comprising a leg portion 29 and a base member 30.

The marker member 22 is provided with an inverted T-shaped slot 33 extending longitudinally through the midsection of top surface 21 and opening outwardly through side edges 27 and 28 respectively with the base of the T-shaped slot being perpendicular to the plane of the marker member and opening outwardly of the top surface 21. The end of leg 29 of handle member 23 terminates in a longitudinally extending flange like member 38 which is of a greater width than the width of the leg 29 so as to form transversely extending flange like members projecting perpendicular to the leg on each side thereof thus defining a general T-shape termination for the leg, such T-shaped configuration of the end of the leg being of a size and shape to be slidingly received in a snug manner in slot 33 of marker member 22 in a manner to join the handle 23 to the marker 6 member 22 in order to define a complete line guide 10. When handle 23 is connected to marker member 22 there is defined between base 30 and top surface 21 the same slot-like opening as discussed relative to the first embodiment and previously assigned reference designation 46, the comments pertaining thereto about the previous embodiment likewise being applicable to this alternative embodiment as to receiving a few fingertips of one of a readers hands therebetween in a manner to guide the line guide 10, such manner envisioning that the readers fingers would be received therein in a wedging type manner to assist in the guiding of the line guide along the lines of written matter.

Further, it is to be understood that the handle 23 may be assembled with marker member 22 with the base 30 of the handle projecting rearwardly toward the following edge 26, or alternatively, the handle could be inserted in the opposite manner such that base 30 would project in a direction toward leading edge 25 which would, in effect, reverse the utilization of the line guide by making previous following edge 26 the new leading edge with previous leading edge 25 the new following edge. It is thus envisioned that the top surface 21 may be provided along leading edge 25 with indicia (not shown) to assist the reader in reading particular types of written matter, such as columnar written matter, with the following edge 26 having marked along adjacent top surface 21 different indicia or the like to assist the reader in reading different types of written matter, with the reader being able to select whether edge 25 or 26 is to be the leading edge for a particular type of written matter to be read.

FIG. 1 illustrates a packaged line guide 10 which, for purposes of illustration, has been shown as the alternative embodiment of the line guide with it being understood that such a package and means of marketing display is equally applicable to the previous embodiment.

The package may comprise a cellophane or plastic seethrough bag 51, closed as to the open thereof by a folded-over cardboard or paper cover 52 having an opening 53 therein adapted for receipt on a hook or peg 54 projecting outwardly from a rack type marketing display 55 or the like. The cover 52 may be secured to the base 51 by staples or other suitable fastening means. If desired, instructions for the preferred use of the line guide 10 may be packaged with the line guide to facilitate the utilization of the same.

In operation, and referring to FIG. 2, a reader positions the line guide 10 on the written matter to be read, in this case page 41 of book 42, inserts his or her fingertips into the opening 46, and positions the leading edge 15 beneath the line of written matter to be read. After the line has been read, the reader exerts a downward movement of the hand holding the line guide 10 so as to easily and quickly move the line guide downwardly from one line to another as the reading progresses.

It is to be understood that the form of this invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as preferred examples of the same, and that this invention is not to be limited to the exact arrangement of parts shown in the accompanying drawings or described in this specification as various changes in the details of construction as to shape, size, and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention, the scope of the novel concepts thereof, or the scope of the sub-joined claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed 1s:

1. A reader line guide comprising:

an elongated rectangularly shaped flat plate-like marker member having a top surface and a bottom surface; and

a slightly curved generally L-shaped resilient handle member disposed longitudinally of the marker member and having a base portion and a leg portion, the leg portion having the end thereof associated with the top surface of the marker member for guiding movement thereof with the base portion extending substantially parallel to the surface of the marker member and spaced therefrom a distance defining an elongated slot-like opening formed between the top surface of said marker members and the underside of the baseportion of the handle member adapted for insertion of a few of the fingertips of one of a readers hands thereinto in a manner to guide the marker member from line-to-line of written matter with the bottom surface of the marker member resting on the written matter and sliding thereover.

2. The reader line guide as set forth in claim 1 wherein the marker member and handle are integrally formed as a single unit.

3. The reader line guide as set forth in claim 2 further characterized by a sheet of smooth slippery material secured to the bottom surface of the marker member and of the same width and length as the marker member adapted to reduce frictional contact on the sheet of written matter so as to minimize any possibility of the line guide affecting the quality of the written matter.

4. The reader line guide as set forth in claim 1 wherein the top surface of the marker member is provided with a longitudinally extending inverted T- shaped slot extending therein completely through the midsection thereof and opening out of at least one end edge of the marker member, the base of the T-shaped slot opening out of the top surface of the marker member; and the end of the leg portion of the L-shaped handle member having transversely extending arm portions along the longitudinal length thereof defining a T- shaped terminal configuration on the handle adapted to be slideably received in the T-shaped slot of the marker member to detachably secure the handle to the marker member.

5. The reader line guide as set forth in claim 3 wherein the top surface of the marker member is provided with a longitudinally extending inverted T- shaped slot extending therein completely through the midsection thereof and opening out of at least one end edge of the marker member, the base of the T-shaped slot opening out of the top surface of the marker member; and the end of the leg portion of the L-shaped handle member having transversely extending arm portions along the longitudinal length thereof defining a T- shaped terminal configuration on the handle adapted to be slideably received in the T-shaped slot of the marker member to detachably secure the handle to the marker member. 

1. A reader line guide comprising: an elongated rectangularly shaped flat plate-like marker member having a top surface and a bottom surface; and a slightly curved generally L-shaped resilient handle member disposed longitudinally of the marker member and having a base portion and a leg portion, the leg portion having the end thereof associated with the top surface of the marker member for guiding movement thereof with the base portion extending substantially parallel to the surface of the marker member and spaced therefrom a distance defining an elongated slot-like opening formed between the top surface of said marker members and the underside of the base portion of the handle member adapted for insertion of a few of the fingertips of one of a reader''s hands thereinto in a manner to guide the marker member from line-to-line of written matter with the bottom surface of the marker member resting on the written matter and sliding thereover.
 2. The reader line guide as set forth in claim 1 wherein the marker member and handle are integrally formed as a single unit.
 3. The reader line guide as set forth in claim 2 further characterized by a sheet of smooth slippery material secured to the bottom surface of the marker member and of the same width and length as the marker member adapted to reduce frictional contact on the sheet of written matter so as to minimize any possibility of the line guide affecting the quality of the written matter.
 4. The reader line guide as set forth in claim 1 wherein the top surface of the marker member is provided with a longitudinally extending inverted T-shaped sloT extending therein completely through the midsection thereof and opening out of at least one end edge of the marker member, the base of the T-shaped slot opening out of the top surface of the marker member; and the end of the leg portion of the L-shaped handle member having transversely extending arm portions along the longitudinal length thereof defining a T-shaped terminal configuration on the handle adapted to be slideably received in the T-shaped slot of the marker member to detachably secure the handle to the marker member.
 5. The reader line guide as set forth in claim 3 wherein the top surface of the marker member is provided with a longitudinally extending inverted T-shaped slot extending therein completely through the midsection thereof and opening out of at least one end edge of the marker member, the base of the T-shaped slot opening out of the top surface of the marker member; and the end of the leg portion of the L-shaped handle member having transversely extending arm portions along the longitudinal length thereof defining a T-shaped terminal configuration on the handle adapted to be slideably received in the T-shaped slot of the marker member to detachably secure the handle to the marker member. 